A Saturday session has been added to the latest round of public drop-ins for Stafford town centre’s regeneration plans.
Stafford Borough Council says residents, shoppers and visitors will now also be able to view the town centre Development Framework on Saturday 5 September from 11am to 1pm at the Guildhall Shopping Centre. The additional session follows earlier weekday events and gives people another chance to see the plans if they have been unable to attend during the week.
Two weekday sessions are also still due to take place this week, on Wednesday 2 September and Thursday 3 September, both from 11am to 3pm. Around 100 people attended the latest session last week, with the council saying the vast majority responded positively to what they saw.
What is included in the plans?
The Development Framework sets out a long-term vision for Stafford town centre, including a new market hall, artisan retail, a food court, entertainment space, business start-up units, new homes, pocket parks and improved public spaces. It also includes proposals for an expansion of Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group while retaining historic features within the town centre.
The council says people have travelled from outside Stafford to attend the sessions, including visitors from Newport, Cannock, Cheadle and Telford.
The plans form part of a wider regeneration programme which has already seen the former Guildhall Shopping Centre and Co-op department store demolished, while demolition work is also continuing at the former Wilko building. That site has been earmarked for additional college premises.
Supporting local businesses helps keep The Stafford Bulletin growing.
Interested in this space? Message The Stafford Bulletin to ask about local sponsor placements.
Three sessions remain
The remaining sessions at the Guildhall Shopping Centre are:
- Wednesday 2 September, 11am to 3pm
- Thursday 3 September, 11am to 3pm
- Saturday 5 September, 11am to 1pm
Council leader Aidan Godfrey said the drop-ins had given councillors and officers the chance to speak directly with people about the Development Framework and hear feedback on the proposals.
The council says there is still a long way to go before the wider regeneration is delivered, but work behind the scenes and government-funded site preparation has helped attract interest from potential developers.
Leave a Reply